If Durant wins the Rockets, his previous doubts will disappear

On July 17, Kevin Durant, the name that left a strong reputation in NBA history, was always accompanied by praise and controversy. If he can win the Houston Rockets and win the Finals MVP (FMVP), then the doubts surrounding his career may completely disappear.

### **Durant's controversy and doubts**

Durant's career is full of glory and controversy. In 2016, he left the Oklahoma City Thunder and joined the Golden State Warriors who had just defeated him in the Western Conference Finals. This decision made him bear the reputation of "suburbing to the enemy." Although he won two championships with the Warriors and was elected twice as FMVP, the outside world still believes that his success is based on the "super team" rather than the real leadership ability.

In 2023, Durant left the Nets and joined the Suns, but failed to lead the team further. In 2025, if he chooses to join the Rockets and leads the team to win the championship, this will be a brand new story - a team that is not a "super team" will reach the top under his leadership. Such achievements will completely change the outside world's evaluation of him.

### **Rockets Challenges and Opportunities**

The Rockets have been in the reconstruction stage in recent years. Although they have young talents such as Jaylen Green and Alperen Shinkyung, they lack real superstars to lead the team to the championship. If Durant joins, he will be the absolute core of this young team, and his experience, skills and scoring ability at critical moments will be the key to the Rockets' impact on the championship.

In the West, teams such as Nuggets, Lakers, and Warriors are still popular to win the championship, but if Durant can lead the Rockets to defeat these powerful enemies and contribute his dominant performance in the finals, his historical status will be further improved. People will no longer question his label of "winning the championship in groups", but will recognize his ability to lead the team as the team leader.

### **The Value and Meaning of FMVP**

If Durant can win the Rockets and be elected as FMVP, this will be his fourth championship and third FMVP in his career. In NBA history, only a few players have achieved this achievement, such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, etc. Such honor will make him among the greatest players in history and completely get rid of the shadow of "submission to the enemy".

More importantly, this will prove that Durant can succeed under different systems, not just relying on the Warriors' passing and cutting system. In the Rockets, he may have to undertake more organizational tasks and even become a key figure on the defensive end. If he can do this, his omnipotence will be further recognized.

### **Silence of doubters and rewrites of history**

Durant critics have always believed that he lacked a true leadership temperament and could not lead the team to the top alone like Jordan, Kobe or James. But if he did this with the Rockets, those voices would no longer exist. Instead, people will start discussing whether he is the greatest scorer in history, even comparing him with legendary small forwards like Bird and Magic.

In addition, this championship win will also change people's view on the era of "super teams". Durant's success with the Warriors has been attributed to the support of Curry, Thompson and Green, and in the Rockets, he will prove that he can win the championship without his all-time teammates.

### **Conclusion**

If Durant wins the Rockets and wins the FMVP, it will become the ultimate redemption of his career. The past controversy over "subordination" and "grouping" doubts will be covered up by this achievement. He will no longer be "the one who joined the 73-win Warriors", but "the legend that led the Rockets to the top."

For Durant, such a script may be the most perfect ending - in the later stages of his career, he would shut up all doubters with a champion that truly belongs to him.